God Moments

Psalm 150.6

I call them God moments. Time during worship when you know that God is stepping into the room is this moment. There is potential of life altering power. When you experience a God moment you never forget it.

We now stand at just such a moment for the worshipper. The 150th Psalm is that moment in history. God is here. Charles Spurgeon, when looking at this Psalm, wrote, “It rises high into the clear azure, and its brow is bathed in the sunlight of eternal world of worship. It is a rapture.”

The Psalms begin with God blessing man and end with man blessing God. We have our instructions for authentic worship; 149 instructions to be exact. Now we get caught up in who God is and we shout – Hallelujah! The sounds of the music start getting louder. The choir opens their mouths and tears roll down their faces. The scene is bliss because the King of Kings is here.

“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Hallelujah!”

Last time I checked everything means…EVERYTHING. What a moment in history. His-story. Paul describes it this way, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” John gives us the scene in Revelation 5.13 “I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say: Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Avoid the rush – Praise Him now! Have your very own God moment.

Always Enthusiastic,

Dr. Rusty Newman

Understand?

Psalm 119:27, 34

Great delight is found in the Bible. Action, adventure, romance is all found in the pages. Drama, intrigue, espionage you bet it’s in there! Overcoming difficulties, impossible assignments, calm and quietness is there too. In these pages we find our way into a better understanding of the true God – Jehovah.

Amazingly, while this book is living it is sometimes difficult to understand. I admit that one of the reasons many people misunderstand the Bible is because we are looking to rationalize our own actions. Some even attempt to get ammunition to use on an enemy. But, there are some passages of holy script that leave us pondering.

What do you do when, as a true worshipper desiring to please Jehovah, you run into something you’re not sure how to live? Maybe, you even have difficulty completely understanding it to begin with.

I believe that when we come to a passage that causes us to say “huh?” we simply need to ask the author to help us understand it. This is what the psalmist does in the 119th. Hear and learn from his request to the Lord: Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders…Help me understand your instruction and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart.

Understand? Bible study is will cost you. But putting the Word into practice in your life, well let’s say – it’s PRICELESS!

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Rusty Newman

Wait for it

Psalm 27.14

Okay here’s a confession. Sometimes in a restaurant I use an assumed name. You caught me - guilty of trying to be someone else. Truth is my assumed name may speak volumes into a character flaw, or maybe it’s not a flaw just a reality of human personality.

Arriving at the friendly desk with the chirpy girl receptionist peeking at me with a plastic smile asking, “How many in your party?” Well let’s just say something goes off inside. You know the usual routine. Is the wait long? And it’s always the same answer 15 minutes.

Then the transaction is completed – may have your name please? I simply cannot help myself. You see I cannot stand to wait. Maybe you can…and maybe you’ll lie about other things as well. Face it we are not wired to wait are we? So I share my name. The name of my alter ego – “Willet B. Long”

The eatery is not the only place we hate to wait is it? There are critical times in our life when we are faced with life. Circumstances move out of our neat little plans and all of a sudden the pressure to do something, anything arises. We hear the mantra ringing in our ears, “Don’t just stand there do something!”

Many times however with our spiritual journey the Lord is whispering out to us, “Don’t just do something stand there, child.” In other words wait on me.

Wait on the Lord! The Bible is full of examples of people (wired like us) who both did and did not wait. Amazingly the ones who waited came out blessed. Huh, a lesson for all of us?

But we stand before our Lord and use an assumed name, “Lord it’s me again. It’s Willet. Lord Willet B. Long?”

David sang, “Wait for the Lord; be courageous (that’s what’s required to wait on the Lord) and let your heart be strong (that’s what happens when the Lord sees us waiting). Wait for Jehovah.”

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Willet B. Long…opps Rusty

The Dwelling

Psalm 23.6

There is a longing placed in every person. This is a longing to dwell somewhere; a place to stay; a family to call our own. A home we will call the dwelling.

Many wander from place to place seeking that dwelling. The dwelling is a place of peace and quiet rest for their weary souls.

Mistakenly we project upon the 23rd that David is speaking of the heavenly dwelling. It appears at first read; and this because he speaks in terms that sound like eternity; that David is speaking of heavenly rest. However, David has something closure to him in mind.

The dwelling can be found right now. The dwelling is the Lord’s house (or the house that the Lord possesses). It is not so much a place as it is a person.

Our longed for dwelling is Jesus Christ. He provides the plentiful pasture and the gentle water. It is He, our Dwelling, which restores, renews, and refreshes us. Oh yes – our Dwelling is with us in the darkest days and the deepest dangers. He even delights in loving us in front of the wicked!

Heaven is a reality and Christ – followers you will know it one day. But the Dwelling is yours now!

Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Rusty Newman

It’s just not fair

Psalm 112.10(b)

Do you remember Wile E. Coyote? He first appeared in the comic world September 16, 1949 in the short Fast and Furry-ous as the villain to the hero Roadrunner. The Coyote is the concoction of animator Chuck Jones.

What you may not know is that Jones based the Coyote on a description in Mark Twain's Roughing It (1872). Twain describes the coyote as "a long, slim, sick and sorry-looking skeleton" that is "a living, breathing allegory of Want. He is always hungry".

A self proclaimed genius Wile Ethelbert Coyote persisted to capture the Roadrunner for a feast par excellence. Amazingly his plans always fell short. No matter how crafty or high tech he set out to be there was always failure in the end. Psalm 112.11 (b) describes the Coyote “…the desires of the wicked will come to nothing.”

It sure seems that in our times the opposite of the cartoon world is in effect. The “Coyote’s” of the world appear to pull off their schemes and plans unchecked; leaving many of us to question the inequities of life.

It would appear that the righteous remain in their personal struggle. Some are seeking hard after a definition of blessedness. It appears that the wicked get away with it all. They seem to go through this journey unscathed.

The journey is not over yet my friend. Blessedness is not defined by the toys of life but by the real joys of life. And joy is only found through a personal relationship with Jesus. Last time I checked joy is not dependent upon what is happening around us or even to us it is based on what is happening in us and who is in us.

The wicked come up empty at the end of the journey. Good reason to live for Jesus regardless the circumstances. How do you define blessed?

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Rusty Newman

The Name

Psalm 20.7

Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.

I love to worship the Lord. One of my favorite acts of worship is simply mediating on the various names God has given to us. His name represents all the various aspects of his personality and character. Consider today in your time of worship the fact that our God desires that you know his personality and character. He wants to be more to you than a fact he delights in being a friend. He is your personal God.

Take pride in the fact that you know him and worship him in the splendor of his holiness. Allow your spirit to connect with his in holy pursuit as you think upon his mighty names. Lift up a shout! Shed a tear! Lift up holy hands in worship.

He is the eternal one – the ancient of days – everlasting! He is the most high – provider – healer – restorer of everything broken and shattered! He is mighty – powerful – all knowing! He is holy – perfect – peace! He is righteousness – our banner – the host!

He is the one that is fairer than day – the one that is altogether lovely! He is the lily of the valley! He is the bright and morning star! He is the rock in the wilderness and the ram caught in the thicket! He is the eternal Lamb of God – the prince of peace – the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
He is the crucified one – bruised for my transgressions – rejected, despised, bruised! He is the one once dead risen again! He is the living God!

He’s the returning one to gather his saints to glory!

Till then Jesus is an ever present help in times of trouble – and the lover of our soul – the friend that will stick closer to you than a brother!

Hallelujah what a savior!

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Rusty Newman

Let’s get back to normal

Psalm 16.11

You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in your right hand are eternal pleasures.

Let’s get back to normal! What in the world does that mean? Are you normal? Well. I’m as normal as the next guy. You may say. For too many of us what is abnormal has become normal to such a degree that when normal happens we think it is abnormal.

How do we get back to normal? Simply first we have to understand what normal is. All this sends us back to our creation. We humans are created in the image of God. At creation He looked at man and nodded His head smiling in approval, “Now that is very good!” What did He see in Adam that caused this response? God saw Himself. In other words from the very creation God determined that for man to be normal he must be filled with the Spirit of God.

Normality for us is when Father-God is seen in anything and everything we do, and say, and simply are. The only way that we can accomplish this is through Jesus in our lives. Now we come to our Psalm.

David got a glimpse of normal and the pathway to it. He called it life. The Father shows us the path to normal (life). Here’s the cool thing this path is not a lonely walkway. We have a traveling companion and it produces in us overflowing joy. Jesus walks with us filling us, guiding us, equipping us, and encouraging us in His presence; making us normal.

You want to be normal today? Release your natural thinking, planning, and walking to Jesus’ control. Allow your mind to be renewed in Jesus. Relax in His presence and let Him live your day through you. Let God be God in you today. Normal may seem abnormal but finally you are enjoying real life.

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Rusty Newman

Ever been between a rock and a hard place?

Psalm 105.41

He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a stream in the desert.

Ever been between a rock and a hard place? Life can place us in some interesting circumstances. Okay - life can be hard. Even Christians are bound to get into difficulties from time to time.

I think one of the reasons philosophers call it “rock and a hard place” is because it appears that no matter what you do there is no soft way out. There is no way to dig through or short cut around. You may even have trouble blasting your way out. But blast we do, and most of the time upon the ones we love the most.

Have you ever considered that the Lord may have ordained the hard places in your life? Sure it’s not a concept we wish to dwell on long. The Lord has a way of moving us into the arena of the difficult so that we can see how faithful He is while He is seeing how faithful we are. (Oh too convicting sorry).

Let’s remember that when God’s people are between a rock and hard place we still have hope. The wandering Israelites found themselves at a rock in the desert needing water. A lot of water! Rocks can be awesome. But when you’re thirsty you need a pool not a petros, right?

Hang on don’t forget Jehovah. A rock is all He needs to provide for you. Sure it’s a biblical miracle. Sure the people had not seen this happen before. Sure you may never have seen God move this way in your life before. Trust Jehovah, He knows what you need and when you need it. He owns the water and the rock.

“…the Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions. The Lord helps all who fall; He raises up all who are oppressed. All eyes look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145.13(b)-16)

So go on walk on over to the ROCK and get what you need from the Lord.

Always Enthusiastic,

Dr. Rusty Newman

Anxious-Agony Psalm 13

Anxious-Agony, two powerful words that stay connected in dismal times. Anxiety is the silent termite of the soul. This parasite sits in the dark and at first quietly begins to gnaw away at you. Some outside difficulty, some conflict of the soul, some war wages out of control and we feel it eating away. It is agony.

For every believer that has been affected by the anxious bug we begin to feel shame. This is not the way a believer is to respond to difficult times, right? Now on top of outer conflict we experience an attack upon our faith in God. Are we less of a Christ follower when we doubt? Are we less of a member of the faithful when we waver?

Where would you classify King David; faithless or faithful? Consider this truth it was David that in a time of intense calamity expressed to God that he in fact was in the full control of anxiety and it was pure agony. How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me? (13.3)

Are you anxious today; about anything? Feel no shame, you have not moved into the arena of the faithless just yet. Here’s a hint from David, do not let your anxiety be in silent. Announce your anxiety to the one who is faithful at all times even when we cannot see Him. Tell it to Jesus! Call on Jesus and be fully honest with Him about all you are experiencing, He knows already.

Listen to David’s answer to the agony of anxiety. But I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. (13.5) By the way when he made the decision to rejoice the deliverance had not yet come. But it did!

Help is on the way. Hope will exterminate the termite of anxiety.

Always Enthusiastic,

Dr. Rusty Newman